Dundee councillors have unanimously backed an appeal to save a Tayside woman from deportation to South Africa.
A letter has been sent from the city council to Liam Byrne, minister of state (borders and immigration), in support of Josie Pasane’s appeal to stay in the UK.
Ms Pasane, 25, of Broughty Ferry, has been ordered to leave the country, while her mother Catherine and sister Mammie have been granted indefinite leave to stay.
They have blamed her predicament on advice given to them by immigration officials.
A motion by Dundee City Council leader Kevin Keenan, seconded by councillor Ken Guild, received cross-party support at a meeting of the council’s policy and resources committee on Monday.
Mr Keenan said: “The council agreed that a letter should be sent to Liam Byrne.
“There was cross-party backing for my motion and this shows the strength of feeling that exists for Josie.”
The family arrived in the UK seven years ago and applied for permanent residence in 2004.
They claim they were advised that Miss Pasane’s application could be deferred until her visa ran out this year, but her application was refused in January.
Earlier this week, a petition containing 3,500 signatures was submitted to Mr Byrne, at the Home Office, by Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie.
Mr Hosie said the level of public interest in the case should help persuade the Home Office that she should be allowed to remain with her family. “We are now awaiting a response from the minister. The next stage is to seek a face-to-face meeting with him on the case and then if required raise the subject in the chamber.
“The minister of state at the Home Office has discretionary powers and we must keep up the pressure to help convince him to lift the threat of deportation and allow Josie permanent residency status, like the rest of her family.”